Notices

Calendar

8 October, Tuesday. Full Term begins. Discussion by videoconference at 2 p.m. (see below).

14 October, Monday. Leslie Stephen Lecture at 5.30 p.m. in the Senate-House. Lecturer, Ms Anne Enright, FRSL (see p. 28).

20 October, Sunday. End of first quarter of Michaelmas Term. Preacher before the University at 11.30 a.m., Dr Anna Abram, Principal of the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology (Select Preacher).

Discussions (Tuesdays at 2 p.m.)	Congregations (at 10 a.m. unless otherwise stated)
8 October 5 November 10 December	25 and 26 October 30 November

Discussion on Tuesday, 8 October 2024

The Vice‑Chancellor invites members of the Regent House, University and College employees, registered students and others qualified under the regulations for Discussions (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 111) to attend a Discussion by videoconference on Tuesday, 8 October 2024 at 2 p.m. The following items will be discussed:

1.Joint Report of the Council and the General Board, dated 18 July 2024, on the review of examination regulations following the marking and assessment boycott (Reporter, 6750, 2023–24, p. 806).

2.Topic of concern to the University: Future of the EJRA (Reporter, 6752, 2024–25, p. 3).

Those wishing to join the Discussion by videoconference should email UniversityDraftsman@admin.cam.ac.uk from their University email account, providing their CRSid (if a member of the collegiate University), by 10 a.m. on the date of the Discussion to receive joining instructions. Alternatively contributors may email their remarks to contact@proctors.cam.ac.uk, copying ReporterEditor@admin.cam.ac.uk, by no later than 10 a.m. on the day of the Discussion for reading out by the Proctors,1 or may ask someone else who is attending to read the remarks on their behalf.

In accordance with the regulations for Discussions, the Chair of the Board of Scrutiny or any ten members of the Regent House2 may request that the Council arrange for one or more of the items listed for discussion to be discussed in person (usually in the Senate-House). Requests should be made to the Registrary, on paper or by email to UniversityDraftsman@admin.cam.ac.uk from addresses within the cam.ac.uk domain, by no later than 9 a.m. on the day of the Discussion. Any changes to the Discussion schedule will be confirmed in the Reporter at the earliest opportunity.

General information on Discussions is provided on the University Governance site at https://www.governance.cam.ac.uk/governance/decision-making/discussions/.

Elections to the Council*

2 October 2024

The Vice-Chancellor gives notice that an election is to be held to appoint eight members of the University Council for four years from 1 January 2025. Members are to be elected in the following classes under Statute A IV 2:

(a)two from among the Heads of Colleges;

(b)two from among the Professors, Clinical Professors, Readers and Professors (Grade 11);*

(c)four from among the other members of the Regent House.

The Council is the principal executive and policy-making body of the University. It has general responsibility for the administration of the University, for defining its mission, for the planning of its work, and for the management of its resources. The Council deals with relations between the University and the Colleges, and conducts negotiations with outside bodies on many matters (other than those relating directly to the educational and research programmes of the University, which are dealt with on its behalf by the General Board of the Faculties). It is responsible for the appointment or nomination of certain members of internal and external bodies, and for many student matters (excluding undergraduate admissions, which is a College concern). Further information about the Council is available to members of the University on the Council website (https://www.governance.cam.ac.uk/committees/council/). Questions about its work can be addressed to the Registrary by emailing registrary@admin.cam.ac.uk.

The University is committed to equality, which includes supporting and encouraging all under-represented groups, promoting an inclusive culture, and valuing diversity. Nominations from groups that are under-represented on the Council are welcomed.

Reasons for serving on the Council

The Council of the University of Cambridge is one of the few principal bodies in the higher education sector with a majority of members elected from internal constituencies; most equivalent bodies are made up predominantly of external members. The Council draws its strength from the expertise, engagement, and scrutiny of its members – those elected in the classes noted above as well as its external and student members. It is key to the continuing success of the University that elections to the Council attract strong candidates who are willing to share their knowledge and commit their time for the benefit of the University as a whole.

Duties and responsibilities of Council members

The University is both an exempt charity,1 and a corporation established by common law. Council members are therefore both charity trustees of the University and, effectively, its corporate directors. They have associated legal responsibilities and duties, including the promotion of the interests of the University and acting with integrity, care, and prudence. Under regulatory guidance, Council members must be ‘fit and proper persons’.2 It is important for candidates to recognise and accept the obligations that Council membership would confer upon them.

The Handbook for Members of the Council sets out the Council’s primary responsibilities and provides advice and guidance to members of Council on their legal and other responsibilities. Members of the Council are expected to attend all meetings of the Council. Members will not normally be able to take more than one term of leave during their period on the Council and may instead carry forward their leave entitlement. Potential nominees might wish to familiarise themselves with the key aspects of the University’s Statutes and Ordinances (https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/so/), and the most recent Budget Reports, Annual Reports and Financial Statements.3

Further useful information is provided by the Office for Students (https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/regulation/), and the Charity Commission (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-essential-trustee-what-you-need-to-know-cc3). This information includes details of the extent of a charity trustee’s personal liability. Instances of personal liability are rare and unlikely to occur, providing trustees act honestly, prudently, in good faith, in the best interests of the University, and in compliance with legislation and the University’s governing documents.

Nomination procedure and election timetable

In order to be eligible, candidates for election are asked to send their nominations to the Vice-Chancellor, to be received not later than 12 noon on Thursday, 14 November 2024. The Vice-Chancellor asks candidates to address their nominations to the Registrary by email including electronic signatures to registrary@admin.cam.ac.uk. The nomination (which can be made on a form available on the governance site)4 should include (a) a statement signed by two members of the Regent House, nominating the candidate for election and specifying the class in which the candidate is nominated, and (b) a statement signed by the candidate confirming consent to be nominated. The candidate is also required to provide a personal statement by the same date (see below). No-one may be nominated for election in more than one class. Two periods of four years should normally be regarded as the maximum length of continuous service for elected members of the Council.

In accordance with the regulations governing the election (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 118), those standing for election should send to the Registrary, by 12 noon on Thursday, 14 November 2024, a statement in support of their nomination, which will be provided to voters. Each statement should be no more than 500 words in length and should cover the following points:

•the candidate’s present position in the University;

•previous posts held, whether in Cambridge or in other universities or outside the university system, with dates;

•the candidate’s reasons for standing for election, and the experience and skills they would bring to the role;

•a note of the candidate’s particular interests within the field of University business.

The complete list of nominations will be published in the Reporter on Wednesday, 20 November 2024.

If the election is contested, it will be conducted by ballot under the Single Transferable Vote regulations. Online voting will open at 10 a.m. on Monday, 25 November 2024 and close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, 4 December 2024. Hardcopy voting papers and supporting materials will be distributed not later than Monday, 25 November 2024 to those who opt by 1 November 2024 to vote on paper (see p. 28); the last date for the return of voting papers is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, 4 December 2024.

The Leslie Stephen Lecture on Monday, 14 October 2024

The Vice-Chancellor gives further notice that Ms Anne Enright, FRSL will lecture in the Senate-House on Monday, 14 October 2024, at 5.30 p.m. The title is ‘A New Light on Alice Munro’ and all who are interested are welcome. Tickets will not be issued, but those planning to attend are asked to register their interest at: https://www.trinhall.cam.ac.uk/college-events/the-leslie-stephen-lecture-2024. Refreshments will be served afterwards. Senior members of the University attending are requested to wear their gowns (black gowns, not scarlet).

Regent House membership: 15 October 2024 deadline for corrections to the Roll

The draft Roll of the Regent House for the 2024–25 academic year (i.e. the list of names proposed to be placed on the Roll when it is promulgated in November) was published within Reporter Special No. 1 on 1 October 2024 (see https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2024-25/special/01/).

The draft Roll is based on data derived from CHRIS, the University’s HR database, and takes account of the provisions on membership contained in the University’s Statutes and Ordinances. Some significant changes to the eligibility criteria for membership of the Regent House came into effect in November 2022, including the move to a grade-based model (Grade 9+) for University staff. Links to the rules governing membership are provided in the Vice-Chancellor’s Notice in the Special issue.

Current and prospective members of the Regent House are asked to check the draft Roll and membership provisions and to make sure that their entries are correct. Notice of any corrections or amendments should be sent by email to the Registrary via University.Draftsman@admin.cam.ac.uk as soon as possible; any corrections received by 12 noon on Tuesday, 15 October 2024 will be included in the definitive Roll, which is to be promulgated on 6 November this year.

The Roll promulgated on 6 November 2024 constitutes the list of eligible voters for elections to the Council or Board of Scrutiny and any ballots of the Regent House that may be called during the year1 until the promulgation of the next Roll in November 2025. Once promulgated, the November 2024 Roll cannot be changed and corrections, amendments or additions are not permitted.

Ballots of the Regent House

Online voting is the default voting method in ballots of the Regent House. On the occasion of a ballot, those on the Roll of the Regent House (see above) will receive an email alert shortly after voting opens, containing links to the ballot information and to the voting portal.

If members wish to receive, or to continue to receive, hardcopy voting papers and supporting materials, they should submit a request to opt out of online voting by 5 p.m. on Friday, 1 November 2024. Requests to receive hardcopy voting materials should be sent by email to ballots@admin.cam.ac.uk, and include confirmation of the voter’s CRSid and the College or Departmental postal address to which voting materials should be sent. Requests to opt out received by the 1 November deadline will be effective until the promulgation of the Roll in November 2025.

Further information on ballots of the Regent House is available at https://www.governance.cam.ac.uk/ballots/rh/.

Regent House Petitions site

The Regent House Petitions site is designed to help members of the Regent House circulate and sign proposals relating to the University’s governance processes and is available to those on the current Roll of the Regent House1 at https://universityofcambridgecloud.sharepoint.com/sites/RegentHousePetitions [Regent House members only].

Detailed guidance and example petitions are available along with general links to information on the role and powers of the Regent House. Further information on the Petitions site and pdf guidance documents on raising and signing petitions are available from the University governance site, which is publicly accessible, at https://www.governance.cam.ac.uk/governance/key-bodies/RH-Senate/Pages/RH-Petitions.aspx.

Lecture-list, 2024–25

The lecture-list for the 2024–25 academic year is available at https://www.timetable.cam.ac.uk. Queries regarding lecture-lists and their availability should be directed to the Departments concerned.

Notice by the Editor of the Reporter

The Cambridge University Reporter is published weekly, usually on Wednesdays, during the Term. Special issues – including the preliminary and promulgated Rolls of the Regent House, members of the Faculties and Fellows of the Colleges – and ad hoc ‘extraordinary’ issues, are also published during the academic year.

Editorial

Notices for inclusion in the Reporter and queries concerning content should be sent to ReporterEditor@admin.cam.ac.uk. Items for publication should be sent in as early as possible; short notices will be accepted up to 4 p.m. on Friday for publication the following week. Information on format and submissions is available at https://www.reporter.admin.cam.ac.uk/content-and-submissions. Inclusion is at the discretion of the Editor.

Restricted information

Certain material published in the Reporter is restricted to those with access to the University of Cambridge network (i.e. the Cam domain) and holders of active University accounts. Separate pdf versions are provided as appropriate.

Mailing list

An email alert notifying subscribers of the weekly publication of the Reporter and of the occasional issue of Advance Notices, Special and extraordinary issues is available. To subscribe, please visit the Reporter homepage and complete the two-stage sign-up process using the form in the righthand column (https://www.reporter.admin.cam.ac.uk).

Sickness Absence Policy

The Council and the General Board have approved a minor change to the Sickness Absence Policy1 to confirm how annual leave accrues during a period of sickness absence.